This invention relates generally to tools utilized for cutting, scraping, chiselling and gouging cured beads of caulk, sealant or other previously fluent materials (hereinafter referred to only as "caulk") from joints. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for cutting and chiselling beads of caulk from joints and the scraping of caulk from surfaces.
Many tools are available in the prior art to facilitate the removal of caulk from joints. The operation of removal of caulk is primarily undertaken as a maintenance procedure prior to the application of a fresh bead of caulk where the existing sealing performed by the caulk bead in place has failed or where the joint has visibly deteriorated to an extent deemed unacceptable. Some caulk removal tools are specially designed for particular, specialized fields such as the removal of caulk in window glass installations, however, these window glass tools are not suitable for use in more general applications. In the general instance of caulk extraction for the purpose of preparation prior to the application of a fresh bead of caulk, the current state of the art involves assembling a multiplicity of tools and the dexterous use thereof. Chief among the various tools used in the art are utility knives, various forms of scrapers and various gouges. In operation, a user might use the knife blade to cut into and release the caulk bead from the surfaces adjacent to the joint to which it is adhered. A gouging tool is then used to extract the caulk from within the joint, and lastly the user will use various scraping tools to remove any residue caulk from the adjacent surfaces. This process is continued repetitively until a satisfactory result is achieved and a sufficiently sound base for the application of a replacement bead of caulk is obtained. However, in as much as the average user rarely has call to perform the above operation and thereby become skilled in the practice, and where variety in configuration of the joint, the nature of the adjacent surfaces and the types of caulking material originally used requires the user to be experienced in the exercise and use of the various tools available at each unique extraction operation, it is not surprising that the quick and efficient removal of caulk beads is rarely achieved. Moreover, inasmuch as the user often is not experienced in the above described removal procedures which involve sharp steel tools, there is considerable opportunity for damage to be sustained upon surfaces adjacent to the joint.
The prior art has more recently expanded to include chemical solvent removal. This technique involves the use of fixotropic emulsion containing solvent suitable for the particular caulking material to be removed from the joint. The user is instructed to apply the compound liberally in a well aired environment taking care to avoid skin contact with the emulsion and leave to stand before cleaning the residue away using a scraper. The operation is then repeated until the caulk is removed in its entirety at which point the practitioner is required to wash the joint and its adjacent surfaces clean of any trace of the solvent prior to applying a new caulk bead. Though this process requires less dexterity than the removal process with tools, a correct analysis of the existing bead, time consuming repetition and thorough final cleaning are necessary, and the opportunity to cause inadvertent damage to surfaces remains with the use of steel scrapers. Using the chemical technique also allows the user to achieve the complete removal of all cured caulk from the joint even where fully adhered deep within the recess of the joint itself, which may be deemed an unnecessary extension of the operation.
It is the opinion of the present inventor that the prior art is redolent with opportunity for failure by placing excessive demands upon the unskilled practitioner to follow with care and expertise numerous steps including the choice of tool or materials and the dexterous use of such articles in the achievement of the desired goal. It would seem a reasonable assumption that if the current slow, laborious and complicated act of caulk extraction is simplified as an operation, there would be less reticence in undertaking the operation, less damage sustained to adjacent surfaces during the operation and a more consistently sound base for the introduction of a fresh bead of caulk. As a consequence, the potential for premature caulk bead failure might be reduced and a more timely maintenance response might be promoted where failure of the seal has occurred.